In just their 2nd year of Varsity competition, the Vidalia Lady Indians will be playing in the GHSA State Volleyball Quarterfinals after a straight-set 25-13, 25-15 & 25-8 win over Early County Saturday at Parsons-Reid Gymnasium.
The Lady Indians, in just their 3rd year of existence, will now face the winner of the Dade County/Pace Academy series on Wednesday. After the match, Coach Sandi Calloway spoke of the journey, “you know three years isn’t a very long time, and we have come so far in this short time frame it’s really unbelievable. I mean, we really didn’t know what we were doing, and we have had some people help us along the way, but it’s incredible to see how far we have come in such a short time.”
The Lady Indians got off to a slow start in the match trailing the Lady Bobcats 8-2. After a timeout, Rachel Ellison served 17 straight points for the Lady Indians to give them the lead for good. “I think we were a little overconfident,” said Calloway. “But I called the timeout and reminded them of what they had been told this week about Early and to play our game. So we made those adjustments, and then Rachel got up to serve and did a phenomenal job and pretty much put the nail in the coffin.”
Ellison, who was the star of the game one wasn’t at 100% before the match today, bounced back with a tremendous effort, “yeah, I was a little concerned,” said Calloway. “Rachel told me this morning that she wasn’t feeling well, but she got herself some fluids and something to eat and came to me and said she was ready to go, and she sure showed it today.
The Lady Indians went on to outscore Early County 50-23 in the next two games to give them the straight-set win with Calloway’s front line leading the way, “you know there aren’t a lot of players who are more athletic than Myesha Hall, and when you get her a good set, most of the time she is going to put it away.”
The Quarterfinals will be held Wednesday, and Calloway was excited to get there, but she also stated that they still have some work to do, “you know at the beginning of the year our goal was to make the Quarterfinals, well that goal has just changed. And we still have some work to do to get to the ultimate goal of a State Championship.” (Courtesy of Vidalia High School) Pictures By Carroll Williams)
